About Us

The Microbiology Society is a professional body for scientists who work in all areas of microbiology. It has over 4,000 members worldwide who are based in universities, industry, hospitals and research institutes.

Blood cell infected with malaria parasite

Malaria is caused by the single-celled parasite Plasmodium. It is transmitted from one person to another by certain species of blood sucking mosquito. The parasite spends part of its complex life cycle inside red blood cells.

According to Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist in Arizona the bathroom is cleaner then the kitchen in the average house. He says you're safer making a sandwich on top of the toilet bowl than in the kitchen.

About Us

The Microbiology Society is a professional body for scientists who work in all areas of microbiology. It has over 4,000 members worldwide who are based in universities, industry, hospitals and research institutes.

Food poisoning

The bacterium Campylobacter jejuni is a common cause of food poisoning. Contaminated poultry, meat and milk are sources of infection. It takes about 3 days for the symptoms of diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever to develop.

A. DOWSETT, HEALTH PROTECTION AGENCY / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

The number of cases of food-borne illness remains high with an estimated 1 million people in the UK becoming infected each year. The symptoms are not only unpleasant, they include vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and fever; they also cost an estimated £1.5 b a year in lost working days and medical care. Most food-borne illness is preventable.

Preventing food poisoning is the responsibility of everyone in the chain from the plough to the plate. This includes farmers and growers, manufacturers, shops, caterers and consumers. The activities of food suppliers are governed by UK and EU food safety law. In the home correct hygiene, cooking and storage must be practised.

Some of the bacteria that can cause food poisoning

Name of bacterium

Original source

Risky foods

Time to develop

Symptoms

Bacillus cereus

soil

cooked rice and pasta; meat products; vegetables

1–5 hours

nausea, sickness and diarrhoea

Campylobacter jejuni

raw meat and poultry

undercooked meat and poultry; raw milk and cross-contaminated food

3–5 days of eating infected food

fever, severe pain and diarrhoea

Clostridium botulinum (very rare)

soil

faulty processed canned meat and vegetables; cured meat and raw fish

1–7 days

affects vision, causes paralysis and can be fatal

Clostridium perfringens

the environment

large joints of meat; reheated gravies

8-24 hours

nausea, pain and diarrhoea

Escherichia coliE. coli O157:H7 is a very nasty strain it can be fatal

gut of birds and mammals including humans - spread by faeces into water and food

poultry, eggs and raw egg products, vegetables

6-48 hours

diarrhoea, sickness and headaches

Staphylococcus aureus

the skin and noses of animals and humans

cured meat; milk products; unrefrigerated, handled foods

2-6 hours

sickness, pain and sometimes diarrhoea

An in-depth look at a bacterium that causes food poisoning.

Campylobacter

The bacterium Campylobacter is part of the normal flora living in the intestines of healthy chickens and other animals. At the factory when a chicken is killed and gutted, the contents of its intestines, including the Campylobacter, could come into contact with the bird’s skin. This means the raw chicken meat could become contaminated with Campylobacter.

How do you make sure chicken is safe to eat?

Campylobacter is sensitive to heat so cooking the chicken properly will kill it and make the meat safe to eat. If the chicken is served undercooked, then the Campylobacter could survive and be eaten along with the chicken. After the bacteria have been swallowed they multiply inside the person’s intestine and cause the illness known as food poisoning. It takes about 3 days for the symptoms of diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever to develop. The illness lasts between 2 days and a week.

Cross-contamination is the transfer of microbes from raw foods to prepared and cooked foods, it can take place by:

raw food touching or splashing on cooked food

raw food touching equipment or surfaces that are then used for cooked food

people touching raw food with their hands and then handling cooked food

To prevent cross-contamination it is important to maintain good kitchen hygiene such as storing cooked and raw food separately and good personal hygiene by washing hands correctly and tying hair back.